Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-07-01
INTER STATE COMMERCE.
Senator CuIlom on the New Law-WOrk.
ing as Well as Expected for the Peoples
Interests-lt will not be Repealed in
Spite Of the Criticisms.
SPRINGFIELD. III lime 90

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, June 80.
At meeting of the Illinois grain mer-
chants association in this city yesterday
Senator Cullom was called upon to speak on
the inter state law.
He said that such progress had been made
under the law now as to justify All expression
of opinion, and he thought it safe TO say that
the first result was to place ali men nearly on
an equality with respect to advantages in the
shipment of their products. The law, he
said, marked the beginning of new era in
railroad administration and is an actual cul-
mination of long struggle for supremacy
between the people and the combined power
Of railroad corporations He did not claim
the law to be perfect. Ii was in sense ex-
perimental. but it was declaration by Con-
9ress Of its power over the subject and it's
administration and that its provisions should
be conducted in the interest of the people.
The act will not be repealed, said he, and
if any persons or corporations imagine it
will, they NAV as well dismiss that impress
sion. The substantial provisions have come
to stay, because the people will find out, if
they have not already, that they are in the
interest of the general welfare. He said it
was common to have provisions of the law
called bungling and ambiguous. As far as
his observation goes, those who are attack
ing the law and seeking to overthrow it are
persons whs profess to find difficulty in un-
derstanding its meaning. Ii lies in their de.
sire TO get rid of it. The true ground of Oh.
lection on the part of such critics, is TO be
found in the purposes and not in the alleged
ambiguity of the law
There IS nothing particularly new or start
ling in its provisions. Similar provisions are
found in constitutions and statutes OF many of
no otto md ,t,t tIa lo,u .,fx, fbnr
Much OF the language used in its most impor-
tant section has a settled meaning and has
been judiciously construed either in this
country or in England, and this is especially
true of some of the phrases which have been
most generally attacked as meaningless and
ambiguous.
The requirements of the law that all char
ges shall be reasonable and that there shall
be no unjust discrimination or unreasonable e
advantage or preference of any person or
place, he declared. had been shown by the
character of complaints against the enforce
ment of the act.
In reference to the long and short haul
clause he said that for many years the rail-
roads of the country had so absolutely con-
trolled inter state commerce that we have no
means of knowing what are the natural chan
nels of ira ffic, or What would be the effect of
uatu' ai laws vi traue upon many at least ol
present commercial centres. What critics of
the law call natural centres of trade are GEN.
tres created by railroad favoritism which has
diverted trade from It's natural channels into
artificial lines at the expense of less favored
localities.
The Senator hoped that there would be no
prolonged antagonism to the fulfiIlment of
the law. He said he did not join in the charge
that the railroads are attempting to render
the law obnoxious. He credited them with
too much business sagacity for that. Such
Course could only prolong a struggle that
would end speedily by quiet acquiesence in
the will of the people expressed in the new
law.